


Mycroft Holmes and the Case of the Great Irene Adler

by mnm_moons



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Big Brother Mycroft, Big Brother Mycroft Holmes, F/M, Implied Adlock, Multiple Choice Fic, Mycroft IS the British Government, Overprotective Mycroft, Platonic mycroft holmes/irene adler, adopted mannerisms, choose your ending, choose your own story, implied sherlock holmes/irene adler, or whatever the ship for irene and mycroft is called, platonic myrene, prying mycroft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 11:03:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21207488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnm_moons/pseuds/mnm_moons
Summary: Despite her case file having been closed years ago, Mycroft gets small recollections of Miss Adler in memories he had experienced. Usually, he'd wave these recollections off like does many other cases regarding closed files if not for one little fact: the memories resurface when he speaks to Sherlock.Sometimes, Sherlock says things that remind him of the way Irene Adler spoke. Little words that seem more drawled out, even sensually. Tight stresses on syllables and faint, satisfied smiles at the ends of sentences. They're small things, easy enough to brush off by the ordinary, but Mycroft notices them nonetheless.The elder Holmes brother sees three things he could do.▶if ignore, go to a.▶if pry, go to b.▶if spy, go to c.





	Mycroft Holmes and the Case of the Great Irene Adler

**Author's Note:**

> fhsgxgsx im trying a new format!!!!
> 
> i got kinda inspired with those old choose your own story books they used to have in like the 90s or smth idk im gen z so i never actually,,,,, saw those lmao but ya know
> 
> i loved the idea of getting to have a say in how something ends!! so yeah!! this is my attempt at that!! please enjoy omg ily

The late Miss Adler is a distant memory to Mycroft, nothing but a thought one might recall randomly when they are met with situations that subconsciously remind them of things they've encountered before.

Despite her case file having been closed years ago, Mycroft gets small recollections of Miss Adler in memories he had experienced. Usually, he'd wave these recollections off like does many other cases regarding closed files if not for one little fact: the memories resurface when he speaks to Sherlock.

They're usually small, Mycroft notices. Insignificant details he catches when Sherlock and him speak in the rare moments they do. Sometimes, Sherlock says things that remind him of the way Irene Adler spoke. Little words that seem more drawled out, even sensually. Tight stresses on syllables and faint, satisfied smiles at the ends of sentences. They're small things, easy enough to brush off by the ordinary, but Mycroft notices them nonetheless. 

And then, in specific months of the year, Mycroft will notice big changes that remind him of Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes. There are times when Sherlock is missing for days at a time, and always, without fail, sentences that slip out of Sherlock's mouth bring rushes of memory to Mycroft's head.

After brief disappearances, Sherlock might make allusions to sensual topics, something he usually does not do. He'll smile more, though very faintly, just small quirks of the sides of his mouth. Sometimes, he squeezes in clever innuendos. All the times, his head will hold high, exposing more of his neck, but he doesn't seem to notice he does it.

And Mycroft notices. Mycroft notices the subconscious changes in Sherlock's demeanor, changes found usually in ordinary people when they begin companionships with others and adopt certain mannerisms from their companions.

Like how someone might adopt a certain way of dressing when they see a friend dress that way, or how someone adopts a certain way of speaking when they notice someone they admire to speak that way. Monkey see, monkey do. 

But what Mycroft can't seem to put his finger on is _why_ Sherlock is adopting mannerism from someone Mycroft recognized to be the _dead_ Irene Adler. 

The eldest Holmes boy sees three possible things he can do.

▶**_if ignore, go to a._**

▶**_if pry, go to b_****_._**

▶**_if spy, go to c._**

* * *

**a.**

Mycroft chooses to ignore the correlations between Sherlock Holmes and his new mannerisms. 

He finds that what Sherlock does doesn't interest him in the slightest. It is also, of course, _very_ unlikely for Sherlock to even be associating with Irene Adler, considering the _confirmed_ fact that Irene Adler was very much dead, and the thought of Sherlock adopting Irene's personality was just _absurd._

He dismisses the changes in Sherlock's personality and ignores the small disappearances his brother had the tendency to take, dismissing them as Sherlock's way of finding independence. Mycroft allows his brother to have those little vacations away from his watchful eyes, finding it was time for him to stop holding such a grip on Sherlock's life.

Soon, the eldest Holmes grows familiar to the way Sherlock spoke much more comfortably about sensual topics, and even sooner, he begins to dismiss the correlations of Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes's similarities as nothing else but that - similarities. 

And so, the Adler case stays closed, away from Mycroft's mind. 

There are times when Sherlock says something painfully similar to the way Irene Adler might, and those times are usually when Mycroft's mind flicks back to the Adler case files, but Mycroft only dismisses them, ignores them.

The papers containing the Adler case slowly begin to lay forgotten, accumulating dust in the dark.

There are two copies, and both are untouched for years. A copy of the Adler file is touched much earlier than the other one when it is opened for the first time in five years, stolen from a basement of filing cabinets somewhere in a government facility by pale hands and acrylic red nails. 

The other copy, in Mycroft's personal library is untouched for eight years. Until it is opened by Mycroft. 

When he scans the file and the pictures in them, he is annoyed. 

Mycroft is annoyed that he hadn't opened the file much earlier. Mycroft is annoyed that he dismissed Sherlock's developed mannerisms as nothing but ordinary.

Mycroft is annoyed because eight years since putting the file there, he had only opened it twice, and if he hadn't opened it the moment he saw the changes in his brother's personality, then he would _definitely_ have anticipated Irene Adler's return from the dead. 

But he hadn't.

And here she was, back from the dead.

"What a surprise," Mycroft would say, and he'd mean it.

"Yes," Irene Adler would smirk, sharp enough to cut skin. "I was wondering when I'd come back."

"That makes one of us," Mycroft would reply. And she'd smile. But he wouldn't.

They regard themselves as casual enemies, back in the game but not very focused on each other's presence. They acknowledge each other sometimes, in rare moments when they see the other in get-togethers or cases. 

When it came to cases, it was always the same game. He'd try to catch her, narrowly miss, and go on with his duties in the MoD. She'd try to outwit him, almost succeed, and focus on different things.

Mycroft would still see little imprints Irene Adler left on his brother with the drawled out words and ever growing physical contact with others. He finds that he doesn't care much. To him, Irene Adler was just another player, and to Irene Adler, so was he. 

There were no other changes. Everything functioned as it usually did. Mycroft Holmes was indifferent to Adler, and Adler, to him.

* * *

**b.**

Mycroft chooses to pry.

When Sherlock's similarities to Irene Adler's personality gnaws at his mind, Mycroft gives in to the idea of Irene Adler being alive. 

So, since putting the Adler files away in a shelf at his home's private library four years ago, he takes them out again and reads them.

Mycroft takes notice to every word, every recorded interaction with Irene Adler on paper, every photograph. He watches the video on a private government database of Irene Adler's execution. The process takes him three hours to complete, and another hour to repeat. 

By the end of the four hours, Mycroft Holmes is positive Irene Adler is alive. In an added thirty minutes, Mycroft has pinned her exact location down to the coordinates, represented by a small moving dot on a map, and by another added ten, he has printed out records of proof of Sherlock's visits with Irene in foreign countries.

Mycroft has opened some pages of Sherlock's recorded plane tickets (all under aliases, though very easy to track) and the information he has at his fingertips confirms one thing: Sherlock and the _very much alive_ Miss Adler had been _fraternizing_. 

Mycroft _can_ snoop more. 

He has all the resources he needs to have to acquire more information, perhaps even ensure the safety of his younger brother by means of watching from a distance. 

He can predict Sherlock's and Irene's next destination. Maybe perhaps with some effort he can hack into Sherlock's private messages with Miss Adler to see how deep their relationship (if it even _was_ a relationship) went.

If he were feeling more vindictive, he might even throw Irene Adler in an actual prison. He contemplates Sherrinford as an option and immediately dismisses it.

But he isn't feeling particularly vindictive. He isn't feeling snoopy, or curious. He's satisfied.

Mycroft is satisfied with what he knows now. 

He's satisfied with knowing his brother is safe, Miss Adler isn't causing much trouble, and his government is not under a security threat. So instead, he places back the Adler files on the shelf of his library where it will lay untouched for several more years. 

Mycroft Holmes will take note of Sherlock's subconscious copying of Irene Adler's little ways of talking and moving, and he will silently acknowledge them to himself, but he will do nothing to point them out. He simply nods and talks to his little brother as if nothing were amiss. No one else notices.

He will know Sherlock's little vacations when he drops from the map will always include Irene Adler, but Mycroft Holmes will not track them or tap into cameras to watch the pair and make sure his brother is safe. He will simply count the days and trust his Sherlock to make it back to London safely when he chooses.

He will know Irene Adler is alive, but he will not say it. He will not tell Sherlock he knows. He simply knows.

Mycroft busies himself with government work, forgetting of his brother's relationship with Miss Adler until it is four years later when Irene Adler will stand in front of him with the same taunting, unaging cross between a smirk and a smile on her face. 

Mycroft will have anticipated this, and he will smile very softly back at Irene Adler's concealed surprise. 

And then, Mycroft will say, "Yes, I was wondering when you were coming back," and Irene will be shocked, but she will recover quickly and reply, "As was I."

And Mycroft will glance at a perplexed Sherlock before addressing Irene Adler again, pursing his lips and commenting, "Quite rude of you to steal my brother from London in multiple occasions. I could have needed him."

And Irene will smile and say, "He needs a vacation from time to time."

They'd share secretive grins, ones very faint so to the ordinary eye, they wouldn't even be grinning at all.

They regard themselves as casual acquaintances with a common interest - Sherlock. They're not quite friends, but the both of them would be lying if they said they were enemies. Perhaps competitors. Players of the same game, occasionally allies, sometimes opponents.

In the rare occasions he sees Irene in little get-togethers, he'd see Sherlock's influence on Irene the same way he saw Irene's on Sherlock. And he'd nod approvingly to himself.

* * *

**c.**

Mycroft chooses to spy.

When Sherlock's subconscious decisions to mirror the way Ms. Adler spoke gets to Mycroft's curiosity, he chooses to entertain the idea of Irene Adler being alive. 

So the eldest Holmes heads to his private library and takes out the Adler files for the first time since putting them there once upon a time. 

With Mycroft's genuine interest in Sherlock's relationship with one Ms. Adler, Mycroft is filled with a drive to work, and takes a grand total of five hours for Mycroft to have confirmed Irene Adler's continued existence, have proof of Sherlock's interactions with Adler, and have Adler's exact location down to the coordinates mapped out in front of him.

Mycroft _could_ stop there. 

He had gotten what he wanted to find out, and by then, the satisfaction of being correct had already filled the curiosity he so eagerly needed to fill. In all definitions of the phrase in context, Mycroft had achieved his goal.

But the goal was _never_ really filled with him. 

He's distrustful, and rightfully so. 

He had a government to run and his brother was running off in intimate _holidays_ with one of his government's biggest security threat. So Mycroft begins a game with three players, being the only one who knew he was actually playing. 

Mycroft Holmes studies the patterns in their little holidays and pins down two possible places the pair would most likely head to next. He taps into Sherlock's mobile and it doesn't take long to find out the date of their next vacation.

Mycroft instructs a small group of trained secret services to tail Sherlock and Irene to their next destination. He taps into government cameras to keep a watchful eye on the pair.

His attention is noticed fast enough, and Mycroft's camera feed is followed by Sherlock's angry glares and Adler's annoyed stare. By the end of that particular holiday, Sherlock returns home angrily. 

There are no more holidays after that. At least, none Mycroft knew of. He wouldn't be surprised to know if Sherlock and Adler had snuck in a couple holidays without his knowing. 

It takes four years for Irene Adler to return from the dead officially. When she will see Mycroft, her eyes will be laced with poorly concealed disdain, and it will be obvious that she will never forgive him for meddling with her private affairs.

"Yes," Mycroft would have drawled out, "I was wondering when you were coming back." His face would be neutral and his voice monotone yet somehow coming off as pretentious and taunting.

Irene Adler would attempt to stare him down. "As was I," would be her brief reply, tinged with annoyance and agitation.

Mycroft would turn to Sherlock momentarily, studying his younger brother before addressing Irene again. "Quite rude of you to steal Sherlock away from London unannounced. Off in your little holidays, yes?"

Irene Adler would fix him with a cold stare. "And you were quick to shut that down, yes?" She'd wave a dismissive hand and smile, fake and razor sharp. "Doesn't matter. I'm back now." 

They'd regard themselves as enemies, constantly batting heads at the slightest hint of a challenge. 

By then, Irene would have upgraded from luxurious dominatrix to criminal mastermind, taking over the remains of Jim Moriarty's old web and making it her own. Influences of Sherlock would show through her, her intellect no longer "moderately clever" as Mycroft once thought, but rather "incredibly smart." 

It would be clear Irene had learned from Sherlock, her deductions precise and rarely ever wrong if not missing a couple pieces. He saw Sherlock in her and he hated her more.

It would be fitting, Mycroft would think, that she'd have controlled a vast majority of the criminal network, and Mycroft controlled the government. Polar opposites, destined to clash.

They can't imagine being anything but competitors of a game that meant life or death. Players playing to win by any means necessary, an intense chess board laid out in front of them where every piece meant a life.

Sometimes, Mycroft would stare at Sherlock and see Irene's influence in the way he'd walk or talk.

And he'd be filled with displeasure.

**Author's Note:**

> i always kinda wondered how mycroft would react to irene adler and like,,,, well idk i think their interactions have abt 50/50 chances of either them going "wow. wow omg i /hate/ you" and "if anything happens to this bitch i'll have the government/literally all the criminals in the world against you"
> 
> like,,,, the potential u know??? u know?????
> 
> gshzgsgx anyway yeah thats it i think lol let me know which one u liked the most im genuinely curious. 
> 
> gsgzgsx anyway ily and plsplspls consider following me on tumblr @skittlesun (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/skittlesun) thank u thank u thank uuuuu
> 
> ily have a good day  
-alex


End file.
